Face and Jaw Surgery

Who do I turn to?

01/23/2006

Question:

Hi, I have had TMJ for years. My jaw popped all the time. till one morning I yawned, it popped and it locked to the front of the condile. I went to several doctors. Had a MRI to verify a dislocation. I had a procedure in which the Oral Surgeon stuck a needle in the side of my jaw and tried to flush it with water to losen it back in place. ( it didn`t work). I even tried the splint therapy for 6 months. I can actually hear the bone rubbing together when I talk or eat. Now I am in so much pain. I live on Soma and Motrin to sleep, and nothing during the day due to my job. My mouth is crooked and my left ear rings all the time. I don`t know what else to do. What do you suggest. I live in Jacksonville NC. Thank you.

Answer:

My recommendation will be for you to seek the expertise of a surgeon with special interest in temporomandibular disorders. I don't know how close you are to Chapel Hill, but the Dept. of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery there may be a good place to start. This is the link to their website: http://www.dent.unc.edu/depts/academic/oms/

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